Rabat – Egypt is set to observe the first day of Ramadan on April 24, the country’s Grand Mufti Shawqi Allam announced today.
The country has not yet determined any plans to adjust curfew hours during the holy month. Curfew hours in Egypt currently run from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m.
Meanwhile, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other countries throughout the Arabian Peninsula are also set to announce Friday as the first day of Ramadan, pending the moon-sighting on Thursday, April 23.
The announcements after the moon-sighting are a formality and will take place on Thursday after the Maghrib prayers, after sunset.
Ramadan will surely begin on Friday in Gulf countries, as Thursday is the 30th day of Sha’ban, the month preceding Ramadan, and Islamic months never comprise more than 30 days.
The Islamic calendar is determined by moon phases that are either 29 or 30 days long. The sight of a new moon signals the start of a new month in the Islamic calendar.
Astronomical calculations can also determine when Islamic months are most likely to begin.
Last week, Moroccan astronomer Abdelaziz Kharbouch Al Ifrani told MWN that Ramadan is set to begin in Morocco on Saturday, April 25, one day later than Middle Eastern countries.
The holy month of Ramadan commemorates the first revelation of the Prophet Muhammad in the year 610. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn until sunset and perform special prayers called Taraweeh during the evening.
This year, however, the holy month will feel different for Muslims. With the COVID-19 pandemic spreading throughout the Muslim world, as well as in countries with large Islamic communities, social gatherings and communal prayers in mosques are banned.
Social distancing measures are still intact in most countries, meaning Muslims will have to give up performing Taraweeh prayers in mosques and having family gatherings.
